1
|
Eye-Movements in a Text Reading Task: A Comparison of Preterm Children, Children with Dyslexia and Typical Readers. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13030425. [PMID: 36979235 PMCID: PMC10046295 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13030425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth is associated with weaknesses in reading skills that are usually less severe than those of children with dyslexia. To understand the characteristics of reading processes in preterm children, we adopted a cross-population and multi-modal approach comparing eye movements in reading tasks among three groups: children with preterm birth, children with a diagnosis of dyslexia, and children with typical development. The study involved 78 participants (10.5 years). Eye movements (number and duration of fixations, amplitude and number of saccades, number of regressions) were recorded during the silent reading of two texts; cognitive and reading standardized tasks were also administered. Children with dyslexia had more fixations and more frequent and smaller saccades compared to the preterm group and children with typical development. They also showed more regressions compared to the control group. Preterm children showed shorter fixations compared to the other groups. Cognitive and reading standardized tasks confirmed severe delays in reading in children with dyslexia and some weaknesses in text reading speed and comprehension in preterm children. These results are discussed with reference to candidate mechanisms that underlie reading processes in preterm children and considering possible implications for research.
Collapse
|
2
|
Bucci MP, Caldani S, Boutillier B, Frérot A, Farnoux C, Virlouvet AL, Rideau-Batista-Novais A, Trousson C, Biran V. Immaturity of Oculomotor Capabilities During a Reading Task in Children Born Prematurely: An Eye Tracker Study. Percept Mot Skills 2022; 129:454-467. [DOI: 10.1177/00315125221088548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To our knowledge, there are no studies recording the reading eye movements of children born prematurely. We examined the oculomotor patterns during reading of 23 children born prematurely ( M age = 7.8, SD = 0.2 years) to compare them with those from two groups of children born at full-term who were matched for chronological age or reading age, respectively. We found the oculomotor reading pattern in children who were preterm to be similar to that of children who were full-term and matched for reading age; this shared pattern was characterized by longer duration of fixations, frequent prosaccades of smaller amplitude and several backward saccades. In contrast, when these two groups were compared to full-term children matched for chronological age, the latter group showed significantly shorter duration of fixations, less frequent saccades and larger amplitude prosaccades. Thus, the oculomotor pattern we observed in 7-year-old children who were either preterm or reading-delayed, relative to their age-matched peers, reflected delayed development of brain areas involved in reading-related eye movements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Simona Caldani
- Centre for the Functional Exploration of Balance in Children (EFEE), Robert Debré Hospital, France
| | - Béatrice Boutillier
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré Paediatric Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| | - Alice Frérot
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré Paediatric Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| | - Caroline Farnoux
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré Paediatric Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| | - Anne-Laure Virlouvet
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré Paediatric Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| | - Aline Rideau-Batista-Novais
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré Paediatric Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| | - Clémence Trousson
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré Paediatric Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| | - Valerie Biran
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré Paediatric Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|